Backtobanks

Take a look at Crawfords contract year by year and try again. I've looked at it and basically I'm asking the Red Sox to pay half his salary for the last 4 years. That will mean he will cost the Cubs about $42 million over the last 4 years in future money as opposed to 2012 money.

Let me tweak the deal: Soriano + Zambrano for Lackey + Crawford + $40 million ($10 million per year from 2014 - 2017) + Theo (no additional compensation)

Soriano + Zambrano for Lackey + Crawford + $40 million ($10 million per year from 2014 - 2017). The ultimate salary dump trade.

Kaplan How about Cherington for Bush? Seems fair. 10/13/2011: Randy Bush agrees to send Brett Jackson, Trey McNutt, and Matt Szczur to the Red Sox as compensation 10/14/2011: Ben Cherington officially named New Red Sox GM 10/15/2100: Ben Cherington names Randy Bush his assistant GM. Brett Jackson breaks all of Ted Williams' records. Trey McNutt becomes the new Bob Gibson. Matt Szcur becomes the new Carl Yaztremski. Theo Epstein changes everything about the Cubs and they average 95 wins per season for 2012-2016, make the playoffs every year, and lose in the first round every year.

I wouldn't trade either but either of those for Epstein is far less absurd than that Upton/Davis package of yours. It's a tossup, IMO. We aren't trying to get Epstein out of some 15 year contract to come to the Cubs. The only reason he's interested is because he's at least a little disgruntled in Boston, and he's only under contract for another 12 months. For the Red Sox to demand any player of value(aka anyone who would play in MLB or find themselves on a Top 15-20 prospect list), is a desperate attempt that someone like Ricketts should see right through. He can respond "you can take whatever trinket I'm offering(cash, minor league filler, Bryan LaHair) and get something for Theo, or you can trap him in Boston for 12 months and piss him off, assuring he's gone after 2012 for nothing". The Red Sox have no leverage to demand value. Absurdity is paying an extreme price for something that you don't have to. You are absolutely correct - the Red Sox have no leverage to demand value. It's like the Cubs trading Zambrano and/or Soriano and wanting something of value. The Marlins were idiots for giving up 2 decent prospects for Guillen.

Cashner and/or Jackson for Epstein???? #-o And some of you guys make fun of my trade proposals. :-k

Hanley Rameriz for Josh Beckett. I don't think the Cubs will trade Castro, SS is a much harder position to fill. Exactly. There are lots of 1B who will produce decent power numbers, though not as good as Votto's numbers. There are very few SS that can match Castro's numbers now and hopefully in the future.

They will be hiring a new GM, so that could change. If Texas wins the WS, he'd have to consider taking the money that the O's would be able to offer. Most of the FAs that leave money on the table to play for a contender have already made a lot of money. Wilson and his agent know that this is his first, last, and only big payday.

As others have pointed out, it's crazy to trade your young, cheap superstar SS for a reasonably young, affordable (for now) superstar 1B when you have 2 other superstar 1B that will cost you only money.

Everything I've read has said that the Reds aren't trying to trade Votto, but would listen to any offers that are made. What Jocketty said is exactly what you would expect him to say at this point, but if a team calls offering someone like Shields or Cain, he would be a fool not to think about it when he has Alonzo ready to play 1B.

Because there's very little precident of a team offering compensation for another one's GM. And if the Cubs plan on offering Theo the President of Baseball Opps title, isn't it almost unprofessional to block a promotion for Theo by demanding compensation from the Cubs (assuming the Red Sox aren't also offering a similar title if he stays)? Assuming that Epstein wants the Cubs' job, do the Red Sox really want a GM that doesn't want to be there and that they just screwed out of his new job because they couldn't settle on compensation? They've got nothing to lose for asking about compensation, but I would think you have to let him go if he wants to go.

Not going to argue with any of you about a fair offer for Davis and Upton, but it would save a lot of money for the Rays since Upton is way too expensive for his production (nice way of saying he has had 3 consecutive bad years with the exception of SB) and Barney would look like an All Star next to their other shortstops. LaHair could be a cheap option as a DH or bat off the bench and Davis is replaceable in their rotation.

How about Wade Davis + Upton for Barney (to play SS) + Colvin + LaHair (1B/DH) to open the negotiations.

From MLBTR: •Some people think that C.J. Wilson has keen interest as free agent in New York, tweets Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated. He adds that the Yankees are probably the early favorite to sign him.

Zambrano + Colvin + decent prospect + $16 million ($9 million in 2012 and $7 million in 2013) for Nolasco + Morrison. (The $16 million is the difference between the contracts of Nolasco and Zambrano). It would take a good 5 mil more. Zambrano is virtually immovable without Ozzie being interested, and LoMo is a potential star where as Colvin is a potential decent 4th outfielder. I'm not disagreeing with you, just reminding you that Morrison is and has been in the dog house in Florida.

At this point, anybody who doesn't think Epstein is the first choice is either naive or stupid. 1. Ricketts basically said that the Red Sox are his model as to what he wants to do. 2. The media in both towns and nationally are jumping all over the story. 3. He has asked permission to talk to Epstein. 4. The delay can be explained by the Jewish holiday and/or the discussion of compensation. Now tell me that Ricketts won't look like an idiot if he has a press conference next week to introduce his new GM - Rick Hahn (who he claims was his first choice all along). Please explain what you're actually complaining about here and what Ricketts has done wrong. He's said NOTHING about Theo Epstein. So you're criticizing him because Epstein is his first choice? Or are you criticizing him because the media is speculating like they do on everything sports related? Or are you just criticizing for having a "first choice" in his GM search? I'm criticizing people who think Epstein isn't the first choice and the fact that Ricketts seems to have gone "all in" for Epstein. Any other choice would have been hired by now.

At this point, anybody who doesn't think Epstein is the first choice is either naive or stupid. 1. Ricketts basically said that the Red Sox are his model as to what he wants to do. 2. The media in both towns and nationally are jumping all over the story. 3. He has asked permission to talk to Epstein. 4. The delay can be explained by the Jewish holiday and/or the discussion of compensation. Now tell me that Ricketts won't look like an idiot if he has a press conference next week to introduce his new GM - Rick Hahn (who he claims was his first choice all along).

Zambrano + Colvin + decent prospect + $16 million ($9 million in 2012 and $7 million in 2013) for Nolasco + Morrison. (The $16 million is the difference between the contracts of Nolasco and Zambrano).

All of this speculation/rumors/talk had better happen because Ricketts and his second choice are going to look pretty stupid if it doesn't happen.

It depends on whether his Achilles tendon is torn or not.

If we don't get Wilson (or Sabathia), we need to look at some pitchers like Baker, Gavin Floyd, etc. who can provide depth to the starting rotation so we don't have the situation of Davis/Coleman/Lopez/Russell starting once or twice a week. That was one reason I hated to see Gorzelanny go.

In both cases they might go after Wilson to use their other pitchers (Guthrie, Santana, etc.) as trade bait to pick up a position player.

I'd be very surprised if it was within the division. Well they would be looking for a #1 starter for him, so obviously we couldn't get him and probably nobody else in our division could pay that price. Something like Shields might be the beginnings of a trade. If only we knew somebody who could work out a 3-way deal. :yahoo: :yahoo: :yahoo:

Thing is, a lot of the big market teams have some other issues to work out. Not saying he won't get a huge deal, just saying I'm not sure he's going to get a "blow everybody else out of the water" deal. I mean, which team? Yankees have the Sabathia issue, and Cashman, provided he isn't overruled by the ownership, is wary of such big contract efforts, by most accounts. Of course, he may view it as their best shot to give the aging core one last run or two. Boston has to work out their contractual issues. If they can clear some dough off, perhaps, but it's going to be awfully hard. St. Louis has to figure out Pujols first and foremoest, and I think they probably prefer Carpenter back for a short term deal. Texas? Perhaps, but do they have blow everybody away money that they can spend? White Sox are rebuilding. The one team that, to the best of my knowledge, has a fair amount of money clearing up and could use a strong 2nd starter as they wait on the kids might be Detroit, but with Verlander, Scherzer, Porcello, Jacob Turner, Doug Fister, they have enough arms already. Actually, from a monetary and future competitiveness standpoint, I really wonder about the Nationals. They have money to spend, and adding CJ Wilson to go with Strasburg and Zimmerman would give them a nasty 1-3, and there's a young offensive core developing. If I had to toss a team in there that I wonder about, the Blue Jays come to mind, but is this an Anthoupoulos move? May be one year too early in his plan to make this move. I wonder how real is all the chatter on the Marlins spending more this winter. Taking a gigantic pivot for a second, in a thread that doesn't really apply, but I wonder if the Twins might shop Scott Baker this offseason? It's a weak market and they have 1 year and 1 option year left. His peripherals have been fairly consistent 3 years in a row. He is coming off an injury, but didn't sound that serious. He's 30, so he's not going to be around to build around. They have to figure out a way to add some pieces. They have some contracts coming off (Nathan if they decline the option would be a big clearing), but I wonder. For the right price, he'd be a guy that I'd have some interest in as a 2/3 type starter in the rotation. I'd bring up James Shields name, but that's a price that is likely to be way too heavy for the Cubs to afford in terms of talent that it would cost. Orioles, Angels?

I wouldn't be surprised if Votto gets traded this year in a blockbuster deal.